Trayvon Miller, and Thoughts about his Death

I understand citizens are allowed to carry guns for self protection in Florida, but the question remains; was Zimmerman acting as a citizen or a predator?

(PASO ROBLES, CA) - Mr. Zimmerman’s remarks made to the dispatcher were nothing more than pure speculation, and as it turned out, he was dead wrong. Every picture I have seen of Trayvon convinces me of that fact.

The hoodie is a costume du jour among youngsters, but also is a serviceable garment. My wife is 71 years old and uses the hood of her coats when she walks our dog if it is cold or raining. I understand Trayvon used his as a protection against rain.

Except for that protection, I can’t imagine how Mr. Zimmerman concluded Trayvon was acting suspiciously, or was involved with drugs. Watchmen of the Neighborhood variety, would not be a paid member of any police department, and Zimmerman certainly should not have carried a gun.

But he seems to have been a wannabe cop looking for an opportunity to pretend he was, and Trayvon offered him the opportunity to live his fantasy. How else can his conduct be explained? Contrary to instructions, he exited his vehicle and chased Trayvon down who he caught and engaged.

As a totally innocent person, Trayvon saw Zimmerman as a threat and called his girlfriend on his cell phone while walking to say as much. She told him to run, and he did. Zimmerman began closing on him as a perceived man of evil intent. If Trayvon had a gun wouldn’t he have been in the right to kill Zimmerman under Florida law right then and there? He protected himself as best he could by apparently using his fist to bloody the noise of the aggressor who fell and bumped his head on the ground.

Mr. Zimmerman might logically have decided this was the time for him to draw his weapon, and for Trayvon to attempt to disarm him while calling for help. He failed and was shot dead by a man instructed not to exit his car, and who should not have been carrying a gun. And he claimed he acted in self defense.

I understand citizens are allowed to carry guns for self protection in Florida, but the question remains; was Zimmerman acting as a citizen or a predator?

Ken was born in Minnesota but was raised in California since 1932. He is the youngest of four boys raised by his mother alone during the dark years of the Great Depression. He Graduated from SFSU in the 1970s when in his mid-forties, majoring in Spanish North American History, and added three years of post-graduate study, much of it in Philosophy and Religion. We live at a critical time in history and believe Ken's views represent the view of many who are tired of the commercialism and false interpretations about religion today. Watch for Ken's articles on religion, philosophy, politics and history. View articles written by Kenneth G. Ramey You can email Ken at: darken1@sbcglobal.net

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Anonymous April 4, 2012 4:21 pm (Pacific time)

Bush's fault! Maybe Rush bought George the gun and taught him how to shoot?

Anonymous April 4, 2012 1:32 pm (Pacific time)

I listened to the audio that's posted here, and some of Zimmerman’s of calls to 911 prior to the incident. One of the first things that I noticed about this incident is that the dispatcher told Zimmerman not to go after Martin. Martin was actually trying to get away from Zimmerman. It was Zimmerman that chased him down. Pictures can be deceiving, but Zimmerman appears to be a lot larger and heavier than Martin. He could have easily overpowered Martin without the use of a gun. Zimmerman is, or at least considers himself Hispanic or Latino. Anyone that is born in Latin America or descendants of Latin Americans can consider themselves Latino or Hispanic. Could he be a racist? Yes. Anyone could be a racist. I can't say that he was a racist, but after listening to other audio of him making calls to 911, I can say that if he wasn't a racist, he at least had a bad habit of judging people according to the way that they look or dress. The same seem to apply to the Sandford Police Department. (At least the chief ). They clearly didn't do much of an investigation. I think all of them should be held accountable for the murder of Trayvon Martin. This is being made a racial issue and in some ways it is. I think that if it were a black man that shot a white nic youth under the same circumstances, he would have been arrested and most likely still sitting in the jail. The main issue here is justice for Trayvon and his family. Zimmerman was never arrested and was cleared by the local police department. If it were up to them the case would be closed. The circumstances shows that the investigators were either not qualified to investigate this type of crime, or they purposely covered up, omitted or altered information that should have been included. In this case all things should have been considered. The fact that Zimmerman went after Martin after he was told not to by the dispatcher, Zimmerman’s size as compared to Martin.

Sean Netic April 2, 2012 7:23 am (Pacific time)

Let's add to the NBP reward for Zimmerman, dig up the thug and see that he gets what he has coming! Zimmerman is a coward, not a hero, way to go, get all the racist whites, stop them now!

VLD10 March 31, 2012 4:45 pm (Pacific time)

No kidding Julie. It's the "she wore something provocative so she was asking for it" defense. Just as the poor mini skirt didn't have anything to do with it, neither does the hoodie.

Anonymous March 31, 2012 10:05 am (Pacific time)

The phone records for Martin haven't been released; only the Martins' lawyer has said anything about phone records. If Martin was on the phone with his girlfriend at the time, why did it take her several weeks to think up a good story? And why doesn't her account match up with the ***police recording*** of Zimmerman's phone call during that time?

On the 911 call, you hear Zimmerman say, when asked for his address, "I don't know where this kid is.". That means Martin had ditched him. Martin came back to confront Zimmerman and started a fight.

Martin brought fists to a gunfight. I hope Americans of all backgrounds will help this man who was forced to defend himself and will have to live with shooting someone for the rest of his life. The actions of the news media around this case are disgusting.

Editor: Martin walked to the store to buy candy for his little brother, he was tracked down and murdered, let the dogs have Zimmerman, racists are awfully low to the ground

Anonymous March 31, 2012 6:26 am (Pacific time)

DJ: America’s current condition is bad, and the long-term prognosis is worse. But don’t take my word for it.

A well-known diplomat fears that the country has “passed its high point like so many other civilizations.” An eminent scholar warns that military spending and overseas commitments are pushing the United States toward “imperial overstretch.” Another says that “the engines of economic growth have shut down.” According to a respected pundit, “Europeans and Asians are already finding confirmation of their suspicion that the United States is in decline.”

A leading presidential candidate concludes that the United States has fallen from “a position of undisputed power … to the brink of possible disaster.” Another politician says that America is “in the midst of unprecedented political troubles.”

A popular governor laments how America has become a nation of “idle industries and small dreams.” Another grimly concludes, “Our country is not strong anymore.” Yet another warns that America may “become a second-rate power.”
Even the president concedes, “The state of the union is not good.”

One caveat: each of these assessments about America’s decline was made decades ago – some as far back as the 1860s.

So if fears about U.S. decline were wrong in decades past, why should we believe them today? Maybe we shouldn’t. A 9 UNIT COURSE IN AMERICAN HISTORY WOULD BE A GOOD STARTING POINT FOR YOU, MAYBE NOT? BY THE WAY, ALL PROJECTED DATA CLEARLY SHOWS THAT WE WILL BE THE "LAST ONE STANDING" IN TERMS OF PREVAILING AS THE TOP GLOBAL POWER.

DJ: Your first sentence is a loss-leader but you contradict yourself when you suggest that an education in U.S. history might be useful. More important and relevant is an education in world history. It's only Americans who believe themselves to be "exceptional" when, in fact, they are just outliers. If you look at world history, you'll discover that the Romans (and others) believed the same thing aobut themselves. But there is an after to "last one standing" which most Americans cannor see or acknowledge.

Anonymous March 30, 2012 5:57 pm (Pacific time)

NFN (non-FOX network) quote"...he [Zimmerman] obviously didn‘t get attacked since there isn’t any blood on him…." WHAT HORSE S*IT! EMT's cleaned him up as per police reports. I am very sure there are photos and a medical report complete with Xray that have yet to be released. The media needs to STFU and let the system do their job before someone else gets killed. I'm not buying any news reports that try to rehabilitate Trayvon's character. He was a thug before he got capped. The Atty. General Holder needs prosecution as does the entire black caucus and all those who have ginned up the emotions of the mobs with false info, including obubba, chief racist. It is a crime to call for and post a bounty, just like it is to intimitate voters at the polls. The Justice Department is rogue, and we need the military to take over

DJ: I'm a little surprised that you're not advocating that all the nation's blacks be rounded up and shipped to Africa, "back where they came from". With progressive thinkers like yourself, I'm not surprised that the Untied States are disintegrating.

Anonymous March 28, 2012 6:15 pm (Pacific time)

I think people with racist mindsets forgot to take the meds their doctors addicted them to. Racists have lower IQ's and actually don't bathe as often; (statistical data), they are far more likely to molest their own kids (more statical data), and this explains so much is wrong in Alabama, Mississippi and other redneck confederate traitor states. White men with racist attitudes should be placed in reeducation camps and held to blame for what is taking place, forced to accept responsibly for these acts. Every time a Black person is murdered, a thousand racists should be placed in these camps. Then, you toss the racist perp in the mix, and tell the rest that this is the guy who got them locked up. Then, they will kill the original criminal, and we can prosecute a dozen for murder and the rest within a hundred feet of being accessories. We can teach them that there are backlashes for their whacky and sick perversions.

Anonymous March 27, 2012 7:12 am (Pacific time)

I'm witholding any judgement on this case because, like the infamous 'Duke rape case' it's totally politicized and like the Duke case, it may well turn out to be far different from what has, so far, been presented. In addition, I'm very uneasy over the mob tactics in play, fanned by the usual race hustlers and the corrupt liberal media. Hasty judgements in this kind of situation often have disastrous results. Whether Zimmerman shot Martin in actual self defense, as an act of deliberate murder or if it was simply a panicky act done without thinking, he should be treated fairly. So far, that is not happening. Zimmerman is being judged guilty by the media and the mob. That is wrong and speaks poorly for our society. Most of the blame falls on the corrupt leftmedia that seized on the story and inflated it with non-stop, lurid coverage. The race hustlers, like ants to sugar, quickly followed with bellowing Al Sharpton leading the pack. The Florida authorities have tried to maintain some semblance of fairness but the Martin boy's parents with full cooperation from the media and the race hustlers are making it difficult to tamp down the emotionalism that fuels mobs. I have no idea what really happened and the media information is unreliable but I suspect that as the situation unfolds, we'll find out more and a week or two from now, things may look quite different.

HANK RUARK March 26, 2012 12:55 pm (Pacific time)

"Anon" Yours questioning "other motives" by K. is super-reflective, given your own chosen status as "anon". If you have not the courage to stand up for what you write and say, then perhaps you need to question your own motives

Anonymous March 26, 2012 9:56 am (Pacific time)

"Trayvon Martin shooting: George Zimmerman says Trayvon decked him, then began hammering his head, police say... Trayvon was also suspended from school for drugs,and other criminal acts are forthcoming." This shooting happened on 2/26/12, so why did it take so long to get it up and running in the news? Were people developing a strategy? There are bounties on Zimmerman, so this is quite illegal. Where are the Feds? Read at: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/os-trayvon-martin-zimmerman-account- 20120326,0,2228143,full.story

Joe March 25, 2012 7:25 pm (Pacific time)

Why won't the media show 17 year old 6foot 3 Trayvon Miller with the long juvenile record. Every picture I see of him is when he was 12. The police didn't charge Zimmerman for a reason

Editor: I know, bad laws and racist tendencies, you think? So you think if people are large and black, that they are guilty of something? Sick.

DJ: But he only weighed 140 pounds, a hundred pounds less than Zimmerman.

COLLI March 24, 2012 8:28 pm (Pacific time)

George Zimmerman did have a right to carry a gun. However, he did not have a right to chase down someone simply because he looked suspicious or wore a hoodie. It appears that George Zimmerman did not witness Trayvon Miller commit a crime of any kind. What prompted Zimmerman to escalate the situation to the point he did? What prompted Zimmerman to ignore the directive from the police to back off? I must say that it appears that Zimmerman acted without sufficient justification, without sufficient thought, and without much (if any) intelligence . . . but rather than decide guilt without all of the facts and a complete and detailed investigation, I would leave it at "How it appears" . . . not "How it is". It may well end-up that a permit to carry a firearm was granted to a moron and that ended-up costing a young man his life. Let's wait for the investigation to take place and for all of the facts to be reviewed. At this point we know more here-say than fact. We see the mass media whipping everyone into a froth to increase advertisement based on sensationalism and we know a young man is dead. Let us grieve with the family and for the family of Trayvon Miller . . . and while we are at it, let us take time to recognize our own loss because if there is anything for certain at this point it is that the positive potential that this young man might have given the world will never be known.

Anonymous March 24, 2012 1:12 pm (Pacific time)

To anon 12:19...you are correct..obama is using the race card...its all he has left.

Anonymous March 24, 2012 12:19 pm (Pacific time)

Ken Ramey, we all have a right to go about in public, peaceably; and we do not have a right to be free from meddling strangers asking us where we are headed. Nor do we have a right to strike a person because they are meddling. Most people are familiar with seeing strangers coming into their neighborhoods and being concerned. This particlar area has a long history of criminal activity from people who are not fom the area. The rush to judge was so fast and furious that it clearly demonstrates how mob behavior can quickly develop and cause fatal results for innocent parties. When President Obama entered into this matter, he makes it quite transparent where his loyalties have priority, and that concerns me considerably, as it should for all peaceful people who want us to deal with these racial problems and the animosity they create.

Anonymous March 24, 2012 10:58 am (Pacific time)

Ken, Zimmerman was lawfully carrying his gun, as he had a CHL. I imagine in time more evidence will come out, but Zimmerman was not required to take any lawful direction from the police at the time he was talking to them. Let's wait and see how things work out. In the meantime let's not lose focus on other racial crimes, while also addressing why the media does not provide a more equitable reporting on other racial crimes, and who is the biggest offender, mathematically.

Editor: Is there a parallel from the other side? I can't find one.

hank RUARK March 24, 2012 10:53 am (Pacific time)

To all: Do NOT overlook the fact that ALEC-process shaping state laws by its "models" now well exposed has long been a major force in these laws in more than twenty states. The Center for Media and Democracy has won two national awards for full illumination of the Alec-process at is website "ALEC Exposed". See the CMD site and then let your voice be heard to Rep, Gene Whistnant, ALEC chieftain for Oregon.

Julie March 24, 2012 9:32 am (Pacific time)

A hoodie is just a sweatshirt with a hood, they've existed for decades and are really helpful when you need to keep warm. The sweatshirt is NOT the criminal.

Anonymous March 24, 2012 8:46 am (Pacific time)

I usually disagree with Kenneth, but I think he has this one correct.. I just wonder, because of previous articles from Kenneth, if Kenneth has other motives rather than to just expose what really happened.

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